Steam drier arrangement



Oct. 25, 1932. c, fT 1,884,393

STEAM DRIER ARRANGEMENT Filed July 9, 1931 2 Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR C hes-Ties H -T'r've ATTORNEY Oct; 25, 1932. c, TRUE 1,884,393

STEAM DRIER ARRANGEMENT Filed July 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Charles H.True.

BY Q/ZCULQ.

ATTORNEY Patented Get. 25, 1932 barren CHARLES H. TRUE, OF

rarest caries STEAM DRIER ARRANGEMENT Application filed. July 9,

This invention relates to the discharge of moisture from steam driers or separators.

Ditliculty has been experienced in the past in the discharge of water from steam separators. If the water discharge pipe opens into the boiler there is oiten a restricted flow through such pipe due to pressure drop through the separator, this condition occurring at times of high steam flow when it is 10 most important that the separator have its maximum capacity. If, however, the water discharge pipe or" the separator is blown off to atmosphere, there is a constant loss of steam from the boiler.

It is an object of my invention to provide a novel method oi and arrangement for discharging the moisture from a steam separator which shall minimize the difficulties mentioned above.

20 Novel features of my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention, itself, however, as well as its objects and advantages, will best be understood from the following detailed description, talren with the accompanyin drawings, which is given by way of example of a steam drier arrangement embodying and adapted to operate in accordance with the present invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a locomotive boiler having a steam drier and water discharging arrangement therefor in accord ance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a half sectional view taken on the line 22 oi Fig. 1, parts being omitted for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a junction boa outlet for one branch of the water outlet pipe shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line t of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, 10 is a boiler having a dry pipe 12' therein the intake of which is provided with a steam drier or separator lt which may be of tl e type illustrated in Patent 1,537,690 to Portham et al. The water discharge aperture of the casing of the separator 1% is connected to a pipe 16 the outlet end of which has 1931. Serial No. 549,625.

two branches, 1'? and 18 respectively. At the junction point between the branches 1'? and 18 there is a three way turning cool; or plug having an operating handle 20 so that pipe 16 can be connected with branch 17 or 18 as, desired. Both of the branches 17 and 18 discharge into the stream of steam which has passed through the pipe 12, but at difierent points. Each of the branches 17 and 18, however, discharges at a point at which the pressure of the steam is materially lower than at the separator i l and also, for reasons which will presently appear, where the steam is materially hotter than at the separator 14.

The discharge end of branch pipe '17 is shown as connected to an ordinary superheating apparatus having the header structure 22 and superheating elements 24:-24. The superheater having the elements 24 is of the type commonly known as type E. In most respects its structure is similar to that shown in Figs. 4, 5, anl 6 of Patent No. 1,587,0 1.). Each element in such a superheater has inlet arms 25-25 which take saturated steam from the inlet chambers (not shown) of header 22 and outlet arms 255 which deliver superheated steam to the outlet chambers of the header 22, one of such chambers being shown at 26. The inlet arms 25 of. elements 24 are bifurcated to form two branches, each of which passes into and out of a smoke flue of boiler 10 and then into and out of another such flue before the two branches are reunited in one of the outlet arms 25?). As illustrated, the branch 17 of pipe 16 delivers into one of the outlet chambers 26 of header 22 whereas the branch 18 delivers into a box 28 which is placed at the bend in the length of one of the superheater elements 24 where the "ranch 0 the element leaves one smoke flue and enters another. The outlets of branches 1'? and 18 therefor are at points where the pressure or" the steam has been diminished as compared to that in the separator 14 by passing through all or a portion of the superheater and at which also, for the same reason, the temperature of the steam is materially higher than in the separator. Due to the difl'erence in pressure at the two ends of the pipe 16, there 1s a rapid flow therethrough so that the moisture separated from the steam by the device 14 is quickly removed therefrom. Also, the temperature of the steam in the superheater elements 24 or in the outlet chambers 26 is such that the moisture is quickly evaporated and any dirt or other foreign matter which may have separated from the steam with the moisture is dried and reduced to powder before much of it has opportunity to adhere to any of the working surfaces. \Vhile the dirt discharged through branch 18 has a better opportunity to adhere to a working surface than that discharged through branch 17 by employing the construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4-, the interior of the superheater element 24 into which the separated water is discharged can be readily inspected and cleaned so that this dificulty is not serious. Also, as elements 24 of a type E superheater are usually replaceable, the element affected can be replaced when necessary.

The structure as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 provides a chamber or box QR having apertures in its wall for the reception of the ends 'of the pipes 30--30 forming part of one of the elements 24 at the point where one pipe 30 issues from a smoke flue and the other goes into another flue. Plugs 32-32 normally close openings through the wall of chamber 28 opposite the mouths of pipes 30 so that the pipes may be inspected and cleaned whenever desired. At 34 is an apertured nipple adapted to be coupled to the end of branch 18 and through which water from the separator cnters box 28. Preferably a filter screen 36 is placed within the chamber 28 so that fluid entering through the nipple 34 must pass through screen 36 before entering into the outgoing pipe 30. In the arrangement shown,

screen 36 is held by plug 38 which normally covers an aperture in the wall of chamber 28 which is opposite the aperture in nipple 34.

It will be seen that either branch 17 or branch 18 may be omitted from the apparatus shown if desired and, in such case, the valve or plug at the point such branches leave pipe 16 will naturally be omitted also. I do not limit myself, moreover, to connecting the outlet of pipe 16 to any particular point in the stream of steam from the boiler 10.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a boiler of a separa'tor and a superheater connected to receive steam from the boiler one after the other, and a pipe connected to receive moisture from said separator and to discharge into the steam stream from said boiler at a point at which the steam pressure is enough lower than at the separator outlet to produce a. free flow through the pipe and at which the steam temperature has been raised by said superheater.

2. The method of treating steam comprising separating moisture from a stream of steam, superheating said stream and returning said moisture into the superheated steam by utilizing the difference in pressure in the stream between the point at which the noisture is separated therefrom and that at which it is returned thereto.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and in which the pipe connected to receive moisture from the separator has two outlet branches and a three way cock whereby the discharge can be diverted from one branch to the other as desired.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and in which superheater has a header for superheated steam and the pipe connected to receive moisture from the separator has a discharge connection with the superheated steam header of the superheater.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and in which the superheater has a water receiving chamber connected into one of its elements at an intermediate point in length of the element.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and in which the superheater has a chamber for receiving moisture having a screen arranged in the path of the moisture before it reaches the high temperature steam.

CHARLES H. TRUE. 

